Linking multiple independent control systems to distribute response

Abstract

A linked multiple independent control system can include two or more independent controllers configured to cooperatively control operating points of a system. In one particular embodiment, the linked multiple independent control system can control operating temperatures of a computing device. In one embodiment, the independent controllers can operate in parallel to develop control effort signals that are used by the computing device to affect operating parameters of one or more components included in the computing device. In another embodiment, independent controllers can have independent temperature thresholds that can affect control effort signals only from the related controller.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for controlling temperature of a computing device, the method comprising:
 determining a current operating temperature associated with at least one operational component of the computing device; 
 determining, based on the current operating temperature, a control effort output for each controller of a plurality of controllers of the computing device; 
 selecting a controller from the plurality of controllers that provides a greatest control effort output amongst the control effort outputs; and 
 applying, using the selected controller, the greatest control effort output to control the current operating temperature. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein each control effort output comprises an amount of control effort to control the current operating temperature of the at least one operational component to operate at a predetermined operating point. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one controller of the plurality of controllers comprises a proportional, integral, derivative (PID) controller. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining the plurality of control effort values comprises:
 determining, at each controller of the plurality of controllers, a control effort output within an operating range of each of the plurality of controllers. 
 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 4 , wherein the operating range of each controller are non-overlapping. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 5 , wherein the operating range of each controller is partially overlapping. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of controllers comprises:
 a first controller configured to output a control effort within a first operating range; and 
 a second controller configured to output a control effort within a second operating range independent of the first operating range such that there is no overlap between the first operating range and the second operating range. 
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the greatest control effort output causes an operational limitation to the operational component. 
     
     
       9. A method for controlling temperature of a computing device, the method comprising:
 determining a current operating temperature of the computing device; 
 computing a first control effort with a first temperature controller of the computing device when the current operating temperature exceeds a first temperature threshold; 
 computing a second control effort with a second temperature controller of the computing device when the current operating temperature exceeds a second temperature threshold greater than the first temperature threshold; and 
 controlling the current operating temperature by selecting at least one of the first control effort from the first controller and the second control effort from the second controller. 
 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9 , wherein a sampling rate of the first temperature controller is slower than a sampling rate of the second temperature controller. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 10 , wherein the first temperature controller and second temperature controller each comprise a proportional, integral, derivative (PID) controller. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the first temperature control functions according to a first operating range, 
 the second temperature control functions according to a second operating range that does not overlap with the first operating range. 
 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the first temperature control functions according to a first operating range, 
 the second temperature control functions according to a second operating range that partially overlaps with the first operating range. 
 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 9 , wherein the first control effort is bound by a first limit, and wherein the second control effort is bound by a second limit greater than the first limit. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 9 , wherein controlling the current operating temperature comprises regulating the current operating temperature with only the first control effort from the first temperature controller when the current operating temperature exceeds the first temperature threshold but does not exceed the second temperature threshold. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 15 , wherein controlling the current operating temperature comprises using both the first control effort of the first temperature controller and the second control effort of the second temperature controller when the current operating temperature exceeds the second temperature threshold. 
     
     
       17. A control system for controlling temperature of a computing device, the control system comprising:
 a plurality of controllers configured to receive a current operating temperature associated with at least one operational component of the computing device, wherein each of the plurality of controllers provides a control effort output based on the current operating temperature, and wherein the computing device is configured to select a greatest control effort output from the control effort outputs of the plurality of controllers and apply the greatest control effort output 
 to control the current operating temperature of the computing device. 
 
     
     
       18. The control system of  claim 17 , wherein each control effort output comprises an amount of control effort to control the current operating temperature of the at least one operational component to operate at a predetermined operating point. 
     
     
       19. The control system of  claim 17 , wherein the plurality of controllers comprises a plurality of independent linked controllers. 
     
     
       20. The control system of  claim 17 , further comprising a control device configured to sum the control effort outputs of the plurality of controllers to control the current operating temperature of the computing device.